Sick Days
by Alexandra Penelope Edwards
Summary: My OC Vic plays nursemaid to her three friends as they each go through illness and hardship. Please ReadxReview. Enjoy.
1. Near P1

**Sick Days**

**Near**

"_I can't believe summer's already over." _Vic slumped into her desk. She didn't want the summer to be over, it felt like she was just starting to have fun. As more kids gathered in the classroom, Vic noticed something rather odd.

Near was missing.

Usually Near was the first person to arrive. Vic would always be second, arriving a few minutes later; it was always the same routine, day after day. But now class was just about to start and Near still hadn't showed up. It was not like Near to be late, especially on the first day of school.

"_Where is he?"_

Just as the teacher stood up to start class, the door swung open and in stumbled Near. He was paler than usual and had bags under his eyes. He was panting as if he had ran all the way there, but it wasn't that long a run, considering that they lived in the school.

"Near, please take a seat." The teacher motioned towards a seat next to Vic. Near quickly shuffled forward and sat down. Vic looked over at Near, a questioning look on her face.

Aside from the headmaster Roger, Vic was the closest person to Near. Her calm and quiet nature was similar to that of Nears' and they both rather enjoyed puzzle games. They rarely spoke to each other, but you could tell they were friends, or at least, on good terms. They knew each other well, and if Vic knew anything about Near, she knew that this was not like him. Not like him at all.

Half-way through class, Near fell asleep.

Vic stared at his sleeping figure in shock. This was not normal. Near never slept in class, always giving the teacher his undivided attention. Something was seriously wrong here. She checked to see if the teacher was looking, then quickly prodded Near with her pencil.

No response.

She tried again, this time using the sharp end.

Still nothing.

She poked again and again, each jab harder than the last.

He didn't even flinch. Near was out cold.

Near was still asleep when class was dismissed for lunch. Vic got up and gently shook him.

"Near." She whispered. "Wake up." Near mumbled something incomprehensible. She shook harder. "Wake up!"

"Huh?" He groggily opened his eyes and looked around, as if he couldn't remember where he was. It took him a while to even notice that Vic was there. "Vic? What happened?"

"You fell asleep." Near sat up with a jolt.

"What?" He quickly looked around in embarrassment to see if anyone else had noticed. Seeing that everyone was gone, he turned to Vic and asked:

"Where is everybody?"

"That's I why I woke you up. It's lunch-time." Near stood up with a groan.

"You mean to tell me I was asleep during the whole class period?" They walked out of the classroom together and down the hall. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"I tried, but you wouldn't move. You were out like a rock." As they entered the mess hall, Vic looked at Near with concern. "Near…"

"Yes?"

"Are you okay? First you were almost late for class and then you fell asleep. It's not like you." Near turned away, as if he didn't want her to look at him. Vic placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm fine Vic. Nothing's wrong." Before she could respond, Near shook her hand off and started to leave.

"Aren't you gonna eat?"

"I'm not hungry." And with that, he was gone.

For the rest of the week it was like that. Near would show up late for class, tired and out of breath, and then he would fall asleep. Vic would always have to wake him up when class was over and when ever she asked him if something was wrong, he would avoid the subject and leave. He didn't eat lunch, always saying that he wasn't hungry, and if he did, he wouldn't eat that much.

By the end of class on Friday, Vic was worried sick. Near hadn't even shown up today and she hadn't seen him at lunch. Something was definitely wrong here and she was going to find out what.

Just as she was about to leave the classroom she heard someone call her name.

"Vic." She turned around and saw their teacher for the day, (who just happened to be Roger) beckoning her over to his desk. She silently cursed in annoyance.

"_I don't have time for this. I've got to find Near."_ Nevertheless, she walked over to his desk and sat down.

"What is it Rog-err, I mean, Professor?" When the school year had started, Roger had told the kids to start calling him Professor when discussing school matters. But Vic was having trouble with the change. It was hard to call somebody you had known for a long time something completely different.

"It's about Near." Vic's eyes widened at the mention of the boy's name. "I've been told that he has been late for class all week, and that for the past three days, he has been caught asleep in class." Vic nodded. "I'm starting to worry about him."

"_So am I."_

"Your friends with Near, correct?"

"Yeah. I guess you can say we're friends."

"I was wondering, do you think you could have a talk with Near? Something's clearly on his mind, and I was hoping you could find out what. I would do it myself but, seeing how you are closer to his age, I thought he might be more willing to talk to you."

"Yes sir. I was actually on my way to do that now."

"Oh. Well then, you are dismissed."

"Thank you sir." Vic quickly stood up and headed out the door.

* * *

><p><em><strong>To be continued…<strong>_

**What's wrong with Near? If you look at the title it's pretty easy to figure out.**


	2. Near P2

**Sick Days**

**Near (part 2)**

Vic ran down the hallway and up the stairs to Nears' room. After she caught her breath she raised her hand and gently rapped on the door.

"Near?" She called. "It's Vic. There's something I want to talk to you about."

No answer. She knocked harder.

"Near? You in there?"

Silence.

She opened the door to find that no one was there. There were toys strewn about and a few Transformers posters on the walls, but no Near. Vic started to panic.

"_Where is he?"_

She ran back down the stairs and started searching the common rooms. Sometimes Near would go and play with his puzzles in one of them. She checked all the common rooms until there was only one left. It was the least visited common room, for it was in the basement and it was quite cold. She was kind of afraid of it. Even though she was fourteen, she still had the childish fear of basements.

As she wrapped her fingers around the doorknob, she closed her eyes and prayed.

"_Please let him be here. Please let him be here. Please let him be here."_

Vic silently chanted this to herself as she swung the door open. The staircase leading down to the common room was dark as usual, but at the bottom, she saw that there was a light on. She went down the stairs slowly, fearing that she would lose her footing if she went too fast. As the light grew brighter she noticed a hunched figure in the corner.

"_Near."_

One of the steps under her feet creaked, causing Near to look up.

"Hi Vic." He smiled. Vic couldn't help but shiver. She always found Nears' smiles very creepy. She walked over and sat down next to him. He was doing his trademark blank puzzle with the L in the corner. "Is there something you wish to talk about?"

"Yes." She swallowed, unsure of how to go about this. "Near, is something wrong?"

"No." He didn't take his eyes off the puzzle.

"But I think there is." Near said nothing. "Near, if something's wrong, you can tell me, right? I'm your friend…right?"

"You shouldn't worry yourself." His eyes never left the puzzle. "I keep telling you I'm perfectly fine."

"Near…" She placed her hand on top of his. "Please tell me what's wrong." Near snatched his hand away and stood up to leave. "Near!" Vic grabbed his hand only for it to slip of her grasp. His hands were covered in sweat. She reached again, this time getting the collar of his shirt. She spun him around and cupped his face in her hands.

The bags under his eyes were getting worse, his cheeks were flushed, and his forehead was drenched in sweat.

"Vic, I'm fine." Near mumbled. His eyes were filled with a lifelessness that Vic had never seen before. She placed a hand on his forehead.

"Oh Dear God."

In another part of the orphanage, a certain pair of troublemakers walked out of their daily detention.

"That bastard." Mello grumbled. "Throw one paper airplane and you get detention. It's not like we were hurting anyone."

"Umm, didn't it hit one kid in the eye?" Matt gave his friend a playful nudge.

"Shut up."

Their conversation was interrupted when they saw Vic skid to halt at the end of the hallway. Her face was a little pale and she was out of breath. Matt smiled and waved.

"Hey Vic. No offense but you look like shit."

"Roger…" Vic panted.

"Huh?"

"Is Roger here?" The boys looked at her as if she had gone mad.

"Yeah." Mello jutted his thumb at the door they just came out of. "He's in there. What's the mat-" Vic shoved past them and ran into the room. "Hey!" But Vic was already gone. "What's her problem?"

"Don't know." Matt shrugged. "She looked pretty messed u-"

"Outta the way!" They turned around just in time to see Vic and Roger running towards them. They quickly jumped back and let them pass. The two friends glanced at each other as their teacher and classmate turned a corner and disappeared.

"What the Hell was that?"

"Don't know." A wicked smile crossed Mello's face. "But let's find out." Without another word they both dashed down the hallway and followed the commotion.

"I think they went this way." Matt and Mello ran through the maze of corridors and came to the entrance of the basement. Just as they turned the corner, the door swung open and Roger came out cradling something in his arms. It looked like…

"Near?"

Indeed the old man was carrying the small boy as he ran towards the Nurse's office, Vic on his heels.

"Vic, get some paper towels and a mop while I take Near to the nurse."

"Yes sir." Vic turned tail and ran past the two boys while Roger took Near away. The boys gaped for a second before quickly heading down the stairs to the basement. There was a foul stench in the air, and by the time they reached the bottom, they were both pinching their noses and covering their mouths.

"Man what's that smell?" Matt asked.

"I don't know. It smells like-" Mello stopped dead in his tracks as they came upon a huge puddle of vomit. "Oh my God!"

"Did Near do this?" Matt's face was starting to turn green.

"Yes, he did." They turned around to see Vic behind them, clutching the mop bucket and a roll of paper towels. She moved past them and started working on the mess.

"That pile of chunks is bigger than he his." Mello mumbled. "He must of thrown up everything in him."

"He did."

"Oh God."

"Yeah." Vic finished up and headed back upstairs. The boys, having nothing better to do, followed her. "He's really sick. He's been acting funny all week."

"I didn't notice anything." Mello said.

"Neither did I." Matt agreed. Vic turned around and gave them an icy stare.

"Did you even bother to look?"

For the next week and a half, Vic was by Nears' side, nursing him to health. She brought him his homework and helped whenever she could. She even made him a special drink that helped his stomach.

"My mother gave me this recipe before she died." She handed Near a glass filled with a yellow liquid. He looked at the glass suspiciously. "Don't worry. It's just lemon Gatorade mixed with Squirt." After Near was done, she took the glass away and started picking up his toys.

"Vic." Near murmured. She glanced up from the work that would normally be Nears'.

"Need to go to the bathroom again?"

"No, no." If he weren't so pale, he would have blushed. "It's just…"

"What?" Vic sat on the side of his bed. She looked at him with eyes filled with something Near had never seen before: Love. And it was directed at _him._

"Why are you doing all this for me? Why are you taking care of me? Why did you look for me when I didn't go to class? Why?" Vic shrugged and stared at her feet.

"I don't know." She mumbled. "I like you, I guess." She started wringing her hands, something she always did when she was nervous or embarrassed.

"Vic…" He reached out and gently placed his hand on top of hers. "Thank you." She smiled and kissed him on the forehead.

"You're welcome." She started to work again on cleaning Nears' room.

"You could get sick too you know."

"I know."

* * *

><p><strong>Phew.<strong>

**That one took forever. It's definitely the longest of the bunch.**

**Next up: Matt**


	3. Matt

**Sick Days**

**Matt**

Vic stared out the window at the autumn leaves as they twirled lazily down from the trees. It was mid-October and Near had long since recovered from his illness. Thinking of Near, she glanced at the albino as he went through complicated math problems like lightning. It felt good to have him back.

After class was over, she headed back to her room to work on homework, when she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. She turned around, expecting Near to offer some help with her homework (help that she really needed), but instead was looking into the crystal blue eyes of Mello.

"Hey Mello."

"Hey." Mello didn't usually talk to Vic much unless Matt was around, as they shared a mutual friendship with him. "Listen, can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure, what?"

"Matt's upstairs with a cold, and I told him that I'd bring him his homework. But, I kinda got in trouble with Roger again, so I was wondering if you could give him his homework while I'm in detention?" Vic looked at him curiously. Something was up with him. He looked like he really didn't want to be there. She shook it off and nodded.

"Sure."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I don't mind." Mello sighed with relief and quickly removed a folder from his backpack.

"Here." He said as he handed her the folder. "This is Matt's homework. He's upstairs. Thanks Vic, I really appreciate this."

"No problem."

"No, seriously. I owe you one." He smiled at her and ran off.

As Vic made her way upstairs to Matt's room, she thought about the way Mello had acted in front of her. There had been something in his eyes as he had handed her the folder. It looked like…Vic couldn't quite place it. Was it shyness? No, they'd seen each other enough, so he shouldn't be acting shy in front of her. Maybe it was gratitude. Maybe he didn't like the idea of asking her for a favor and he was worried she would refuse. Or maybe it was concern? Had he been genuinely concerned about his friend getting his homework? That didn't seem likely, but Vic wouldn't put it past him. Matt and Mello were the best of friends and sometimes they could be a little overprotective of one another.

She reached Matt's bedroom door and knocked.

"Come in." She heard a slightly scratchy voice say. She opened the door to find Matt in bed playing video games. He was surrounded by used tissues and there was a box of Kleenex on his nightstand. His eyes were a little puffy and his nose looked red, but aside from that, he looked like the normal Matt.

"Hey Matt. How ya feeling?" Said red-head jumped a little in surprise and paused his game.

"Vic. I'm sorry, I didn't know it was you. I thought you were Mello." He glanced behind her as if looking for something. "Where is he anyway? He said he would bring me my homework."

"He's in detention. Apparently he pissed off Roger."

"Figures." Matt chuckled.

"But he asked me to bring you your homework." Vic quickly set the folder on his bedside table. "Here." Matt picked up the folder and leafed through it. Satisfied, he set it aside and smiled at her.

"Thanks."

"No problem." She was about to turn and leave when Matt stopped her.

"Wanna play?" He waved a controller. Vic glanced at the TV screen. He was playing Mario Kart, one of her favorites. She bit her lip as her conscience waged war with her temptation.

"_I really should work on that homework."_

"_But he's sick, and besides, it wouldn't kill me to play for a little while."_

"Sure." She sat on a chair next to Matt's bed and took the controller he gave her. He quickly set up the game for two players and soon, they were battling it out on the virtual race track.

"Thanks for playing with me. It gets kinda lonely playing by yourself all day." Matt said as his Mario threw a green shell at her Yoshi.

"Don't mention it." She quickly dodged the shell and threw a banana peel. "Besides, I like playing games with you Matt. You're the only person here who's an actual challenge for me."

"I could say the same for you."

They had each won five races and they were going through the tie-breaker race when the door opened.

"Hey Matt, did Vic bring you your home-" Mello stopped when he caught sight of Vic.

"Yeah, Vic brought it over." Matt and Vic were head to head on the final lap. "I'm gonna win."

"Oh no you won't." Vic's Yoshi threw a red shell and hit Matt's Mario, causing him to spin out of control. "Yes!" Vic jumped up and mimicked the victory dance her character was doing as it crossed the finish line.

"Damn." Matt muttered. The two were completely oblivious to Mello's stare.

"Have you been here the whole time?" He asked.

"Huh?" Vic glanced at him. "Oh. Yeah."

"And you do realize that it's seven thirty and that the paper we're supposed to do on Sherlock Holmes is due tomorrow?"

"What?" Vic looked at her watch. "Holy shit, it is! I must have lost track of time." She quickly gathered her stuff and headed out the door. "See ya later Matt!" And just like that, she was gone.

Matt just sat there, looking more than a little disappointed to see her go.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry, it's kinda short:( I wasn't feeling particularly creative. I'm still working on the final chapter of this story, in which Mello undergoes surgery. What kind of surgery? Find out in the next chapter!<strong>


	4. Mello

**Mello**

**Just an F.Y.I:**

**"Blah"- sign language**

**"**_Blah"-_** Vics' thoughts**

* * *

><p>Matt paced the common room like a mad man, often looking out the window, searching for any approaching cars. Vic sat in a near-by arm chair, reading a text book on how to become a better writer. She slammed the book shut with a huff and massaged the bridge of her nose.<p>

"Matt, could you stop pacing? You're making _me _nervous."

"I can't help it Vic. He's supposed to be back by now. What if something went wrong?"

"I highly doubt that. A tonsillectomy is a very simple and minor procedure. I'm sure Mello and Roger are just stuck in traffic." She stood up and placed a gentle hand on Matt's shoulder. "Don't worry. He's going to be fine." Matt sighed and collapsed on the couch.

"I know, Vic. It's just that I'm not used to him being gone, that's all. Even for one day." Vic smiled warmly and sat down next to him.

Vic had always been secretly jealous of Matt and Mello's friendship. She'd never had a friend like that growing up, always being the outcast. Even though she had friends now, it just wasn't the same as the bond that those two boys shared. They always looked out for one another; always helping each other in their time of need. And Vic knew for a fact, that if it were Matt in Mello's situation, she'd be comforting Mello right now.

Just as Vic was starting to reassure Matt again, they heard a car come up the driveway.

"He's back!" Matt jumped out of his seat and bolted for the front door. Just as his fingers clenched around the doorknob, he felt himself being jerked back. Vic had grabbed a hold of his shirt collar.

"Jesus Matt, you wanna freeze to death? It's ten below out there." She gently pulled him back. "He's just come home from surgery, try not kill him when he walks in." Matt whimpered like a dog and stood still. A minute later, the door flew open, letting in the cold air and snow, and two shivering figures shuffled in. One was tall and old in a brown trench coat, while the other was young, the same age as Vic and Matt, with shoulder-length blonde hair.

Roger and Mello.

After Roger had helped Mello take his coat off, Vic released her hold on Matt. She felt like she had been holding back a dog that was trying to greet its master.

"_Go get him boy."_

"Mello!" Matt wrapped his arms around his best friend in a tight bear hug. "How was the surgery? Did anything go wrong? How do you feel?" It was all Vic could to do keep from gushing from the cuteness of Matt crushing his friend and Mello trying to free himself from his stranglehold.

"Welcome back Mello." She walked up and patted Mello on the back. A choked grunt that sounded vaguely like "Thank you" was all Vic got in response.

"All right, that's enough you two." Roger pried Matt's fingers off of Mello and pulled them apart. "The surgery went smoothly. He's going to be in bed for a few days and he can't talk for a week, so he's going to communicate either through pen and paper, or sign-language."

"Okay." They said in unison.

"Good. Now Matt, could you kindly escort Mello to his room?" Without answering, Matt grabbed his best friend's hand and practically dragged him out of the room. Vic smirked as she listened to their footsteps echoing up the stairs.

Vic struggled through the crowded hallway as everyone went off in different directions. It had been three days since Mello had come back, and since then, Matt had been nowhere but by Mello's side. It had taken a lot of convincing just to get him to come to classes today. Eventually it was Mello who made him go, after writing on a note card: GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY ROOM!

"Hey Vic." She turned around to see Matt behind her.

"Hey." She smiled. "How's Mello?" Vic hadn't seen Mello since he had got back, for she had spent the weekend working on a book report on "Pride and Prejudice."

"He's fine. I was just on my way to visit him. Wanna come with?"

"Sure." They made their way to Mello's room and knocked on the door.

"Hey Mello. It's me." Matt called. He silently opened the door and they entered. Mello was sitting in bed with a bowl of chocolate ice cream in his lap. He waved as the two took some seats next to his bed. "Vic wanted to see how you were doin."

"Yeah. How ya feelin?" Mello shrugged as if saying,

"**I've been better, but I've been worse."**

"I see." Mello made some gestures, but she couldn't tell what he was saying.

"Let me get some pen and paper." Matt quickly started looking for some paper and something to write with.

"Hey Mello, do you know how to speak sign-language?" Vic asked. Mello nodded. "Why don't you just communicate that way?"

"Because I don't know how to speak sign-language." Matt piped up from the other side of the room, still searching for utensils.

"I can." Matt turned around.

"What? Why didn't you tell us earlier?"

"You never asked. If you want, I can translate for you."

"Is that okay with you Mells?"

Nod.

"Okay then." Vic said. "Whenever you're ready." She watched intently as Mello signed what he wanted to say. When he was done, Vic leaned back and glanced at Matt, who had resumed the seat next to her own. "He says that Roger let him bring some movies up here and he's wondering if we want to watch one with him."

"Oh. Sure. Where are they?" Mello reached over and opened a drawer on his nightstand. In it was a pile of DVDs which he spread out across the bed.

"Damn, Mello. Did Roger really let you bring all these movies up here?" Vic gaped.

Nod.

"You have good taste." She scanned the titles before her. There was "Halloween", "Alien", "The Ring", "Repo! The genetic opera!", "Silence of the Lambs", "Misery" and other famous horror movies.

"You don't have anything girly?" Matt asked. "For Vic?" Mello shook his head.

"You don't have to worry about me, guys. I like horror."

"You do?"

"Yeah. Most of these are actually some of my personal favorites." As she glanced at the films, one in particular caught her attention. "I've never seen this one." She pointed at a DVD that had what looked like someone's face being caught in a tidal wave on the front cover.

"You've never seen "The Thing"? It's a classic."

"I know, but I never got the opportunity."

"Now's a pretty good opportunity. Whaddya say Mells? Wanna give Vic a remedial lesson in horror?" Mello gave an evil smile and nodded. Matt set up the movie while Mello signed to Vic.

"No, I don't think I'm going to regret this. Why?" He continued to sign. "Please, Mello, it takes a lot more than gore to scare me."

As the film started, Matt crawled into bed next to Mello while Vic sat in her chair, trying to get comfortable. Mello couldn't help but notice this and patted the space next to him. Vic glanced at him uncomfortably. She had never laid in a bed with a boy before.

"Are you sure?" Vic asked.

Nod.

"Thanks." Vic carefully climbed into the bed with Mello. As they watched the movie, Mello thought that at that moment, watching a movie with his best friend and a new friend on either side of him, that he couldn't be happier.

"So," Matt said nonchalantly. "what'd you think?" Vic stared at the screen as the credits rolled.

"That…was…was…" She scrambled for the right word. "Amazing!" She jumped out of the bed and stretched. "That's gotta be one of the best horror movies I've ever seen! John Carpenter is a genius!"

"We didn't think you'd like all the gore."

"Are you kidding? The gore was awesome! Whoever did the special effects deserved an Oscar! And Kurt Russell is such a bad-ass. He was so cool."

"Glad you liked it." Matt stood up and stretched as well, but was stopped when he felt Mello nudging his back with a now-empty ice cream bowl. "You want more ice cream?"

Vigorous nodding.

"All right. But I don't know if there's any left." He took the bowl and headed out the door. "Be right back."

"Okay." Vic sat back down on the chair next to Mello's bed. They were now alone in his room. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to see Mello signing at her.

"**Did the movie scare you?" **Vic looked at him curiously.

"No."

"**Then why did you grab my hand when that one guy's blood jumped up and he started freaking out?"**

"Oh." Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "I was surprised. That's all."

"_Dang it. I was hoping he hadn't noticed that."_

"**It's okay to be scared sometimes."**

"I wasn't scared." Mello made a face that said,

"**Sure you weren't."** Vic punched his shoulder. She heard something that sounded like a snicker as Mello rubbed the spot where she'd punched him.

"**I want to tell you something."**

"What?" He motioned for her to come closer. She leaned in. He motioned again for her to come closer. She came in closer, until his lips were practically touching her ear. Just barely, Vic heard Mello whisper, in a very rough and scratchy voice,

"Noogie." Before Vic could even register what he had said, Mello had wrapped his arm around her neck in a headlock and had started to use his free hand to rub his fist into her skull.

"Hey!" She struggled against him, but even after being in bed for three days, Mello was still much stronger than she was. "Stop it!" She laughed. "You're a jerk!" She suddenly lost her balance, causing her to fall onto Mello's lap. He stopped. Their was an awkward pause as they both realized the position they were in.

Vic was lying on Mello's lap, staring up into his eyes. She had never noticed how beautiful they were until now.

Mello had a girl's head in his lap. A girl that he rarely ever talked to and that, until now, had never noticed how pretty she was.

They looked at each other for what seemed like forever. Slowly, very slowly, a smile started to spread across Vic's lips. Mello smiled back as he gently brushed some hair out of her eyes.

"You know Mello," Vic murmured. "You're not such a bad guy after all." Before he could try to reply, they heard footsteps running down the hall. Vic gave a slight gasp and sat up, giving Mello a hard head-butt in the process.

"I looked everywhere but there I couldn't find anything and-" Matt stopped as he stared at the sight before him. Mello and Vic were rubbing their foreheads in pain and both were as red as tomatoes. "Did I miss something?"

The two glanced at Matt, then at each other, before they both started to laugh. After a while, Matt joined in too.

* * *

><p><strong>Woot! I'm finished! This one took forever! I definitely didn't expect so much…ahem…bonding between Mello and Vic.<strong>

**I'm thinking about writing a sequel story to these one-shots in which Vic gets seriously ill and it's up to her three friends to help her recover. I think I'll call it, "Vic Gets Sick." Hey that rhymes. Anywho, read and review please.**

**-A.P.E**


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